Stringer stands on the balcony of his luxurious hotel room and look at a tiny group of sparrow at his feet with satisfaction. A knock came from the door as he throw a breadcrumb on the floor and a group of tiny sparrow rush at it “Come in.”
Lieutenant Crash walk in and salute.
“At ease. Is there something you want Lieutenant?”
“Ambassador Ramsey want me to tell you that we will return to Corvidia in three day sir.”
“Good. So Crash what do you think of Alana” Stringer throw more breadcrumb at the sparrows.
Crash keep her eyes fix on the wing commander “Disappoint sir for a city fame for best security their troop seem lacking in discipline, city guard on patrol just casually stop and chat with citizen ignoring their duty. The guard at the gate seem better but not by much. It must be a miracle they only got one murder in the city this big fill with those savage wolf.”
“Oh it’s not miracle lieutenant” Stringer flick to chase the sparrow away before walk in and close the balcony door “The esteem teachers and their chief work very hard to keep the city this way and we did help them from time to time when it benefit us.”
From lieutenant posture Stringer can tell she still want to say something “Anything else?”
Crash took a deep breath before ask “Do we received any news from ...you know, sir?”
Crash look at his second in command before answer since she is one of the few who are aware of their spy network “The joint research is a success we manage to pull some information about their research in the old world tech; surprisingly they didn’t made any progress in recovering any data from any hard disk they found nor success in any attempt at rebuilding a computer component at all. It’s seem their government want to focus more on MAM development.”
“That is good for us right”
“Yes but let’s not underestimate their MAM gun. I only saw a few MAM gun in action at the end of the great cleansing and they can be quite formidable.”
“But we’ll get our laser gun soon right? Surely a super secret weapon from the old world is much better than the dam heavy rifle we’re using?”
“It’s been almost four decade since they pull the data out of that old hard disk. They keep saying they almost got it to work; I wouldn’t hold your breath that any of us will get to use it soon. And didn’t Shelly just made our new rifle lighter anyway, don’t you like it? ”
“They made the gun lighter but made us carry more bullet so it’s weigh down on us all the same, not to mention how dam hard it is to fire with our claw and keep steady aim mid flight. Just let’s me carry more nade instead.”
“You can always resign from unit and go back to use a crossbow with most of our troops. Those gun are not cheap to make you know although now that the gun was redesign to be less heavy it might soon be practical to mass produce to normal troops since they won’t need to go through rigorous training just to be able to carry and operate it.
“And leave you to face those wolf alone wing commander?”
“A raven who can’t reload her gun properly and keep dropping her magazine is no use to me in combat.”
“Those magazine and my beak just don’t get along”
“Practice more, less time daydream about a weapons from the old world and you might actually live to see the day we actually get to use one.”
“heh I wonder what would the human think if they knew we corvid has more success in rebuilding tech from the old world better than them.”
Their obsession with magic will be their downfall. Some of them can’t even withstand the magic inside church of this very city. Their tenacity is truly impressive to survive this long but their era has long past. It will be us Avion who inherit this earth.”
---*---
“I guess we can start voting” Josh sit in the garden with his friend “unless two of you would like to said something first”
Eirian look at Amy, both don’t have anything more to say. What need to be say is already said and done.
“Alright ” said Josh “Amy you stand on left side of a tree Eirian you on right. The four of us will choose by walking to the one we choose ok?”
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Eirian and Amy get up and each walk to opposite side before turn to look at each other.
“I hope you guy already made up your mind” Josh step to the right by Eirian side.
“Ahem” Bill make a sound before follow Josh.
Eirian is happy two of his friend choose him but he does feel guilty from implication that he might have bribe Bill, unintentionally of course.
“I’ll choose Amy” Biscuit walk to Amy side still looking down not look at anyone.
Five student now look at the grey wolf who stand in the middle waiting for Calamity decision. He look at Amy and for a moment, everyone thought the vote is going to tie and they will need to have a long discussion of what to do next, but Calamity turn and walk to Eirian side.
Amy taken back for a moment but she collect her self to accept the result “So be it. May I ask for a reason why you choose Eirian? In term of score I earn our team point and got us rank one in assignment while Eirian got us last place and our team almost lost a mark for being late.”
“You abandon Biscuit” said the wolf.
“What? But that because the situation force me. It was the right choice; she wasn’t hurt and our team got rank one. Eirian agrees with me.”
Eirian look around before nod ‘it’s true in the end I abandon Biscuit, her order or not. Deep down I agree with Amy decision.’
“Doesn’t matter you are team leader at the time it’s your responsibility.”
“But our team win. Isn’t that the most important thing? Strength right? A strong leader have no hesitation and I lead the fight at the front not hide behind my team.”
“A strong leader would have protected her teammate.”
“But the team is more important than any one individual. What use would it be if I stop to save Biscuit and our team lose.”
“Not how I see it.”
Amy gone quiet for a moment she seem confuse with what Calamity said “Very well. You win Eirian. You’re now our team leader.”
Eirian look at Calamity puzzled “are you sure Calamity?”
“Yes” said the grey wolf.
When no one interject Bill clap his hand “congratulation Eirian”
Eirian look at everyone “Thank you everyone for choosing me” Eirian look at Amy and Biscuit “I will prove to you all that you made the right choice and be the leader that you can be proud of.
After he left his friend Eirian wanted to tell aunt Hellen about wining team leader spot so he went up to her room on the white tower.
“Well done Eirian look like you success in one of your goal of coming to study here. Did you write to Euri yet?”
“Thank you aunt Hellen and yes I was going to sent a letter after telling you.”
Eirian is about to leave when Hellen stop him.
“Eirian, Euri is very worry about you but I told her you are doing well here and making a new friend and that she should let you choose your own path and what you want to do in life.” Hellen sit at her table and hold Euri letter in her hand “I promise her to help look after you so let me ask you this. What do you really want coming here?”
“I...like I said, to help with your work, Alana work, unite all races to work in peace and harmony.”
“So this have nothing to do with Slane?” the nearby village where Eirian was found as a baby.
“How could it? Alana barely have any record of it.”
‘I know I check the library the moment I arrived in this city.’
“If you want to look for information on your parent then just tell me, you don’t have to pretend wanting to study and work here.”
“I really want to work here aunt Hellen. Princess Alana has the right idea and I want to help with your work.”
Hellen stare at him still not satisfy.
Knowing she won’t let him go until he answer Eirian adds “And if being here somehow get me a chance to find out about what happen that day it would be great too.”
“There is nothing to find. The Eardwulf’s company that attack the village wipe them out.” Hellen sigh “You’re not the only one whose family got caught in the war and lost all trace them afterward. I won’t stop you from looking but know that there is nothing there any more. Me and Euri already look around before she decided to adopt you.”
“I know” Eirian accept this fact long ago “I look over the name of people who could be in the camp and surrounding area so many time. Amiel, human, goat and some bird; I remember all their name.”
“It was a chaotic time we don’t exactly kept a good record your parent might not even be in the list.”
“Well there nothing wrong with keeping my eye open” he smiles.
Hellen know there is nothing she can do to change his mind “So what now? You succeed in becoming the team leader like you proclaimed with Euri and a team that consist of all six races no less. How does it feel?”
“Honestly? Getting to be choose as a leader is harder than I thought. I know as a Amiel I’m still the most qualify but it seem there’s still a lot I must work on.”
“What next then? What is your plan for the team? Having a plan is good.”
“There is still a lot I don’t understand about my friend even Bill who is human so I plan to get to know them better especially Amy and Biscuit ”
“Good” Hellen seem satisfy, with this when she write to Euri Hellen can tell her friend with confident that Eirian is doing fine and she need not worry about him.
“And may I ask one more thing” Eirian voice shake a little since he is about to question his aunt honestly and he know when she’s angry even the elder don’t want to go near her “Aunt Hellen is it really true there isn’t any written word left by the bomber? If you want I can help keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary in the city.”
“What? Oh the vandalism.” Hellen get up to pat Eirian on the head “There isn’t any vandalism at the crime scene Eirian. Now you take your mind of these thing leave these messy affair to adult and enjoy your time here in Alana, go study and play with your friend. It’s our job to protect you and take care of any problem. Your is to just play and learn just like how Princess Alana want.”
Eirian wasn’t sure before but since Hellen insist that there isn’t any vandalism about Alana then it really must be just a rumor “Ok aunt Hellen just you watch I’ll make our team the best this school ever see.”
End of Eirian chapter